In the building industry, dimensional wood floor joists and rafters have typically been the preferred materials for supporting floors and roofs. More recently, I-joists have been replacing these materials. I-joists are wooden joists with an I-shaped configuration, including two flanges separated by a web. The flanges of the I-joist are typically arranged so that their width rests horizontally on a weight-bearing surface, while the web of the I-joist is arranged so that its width is positioned vertically therebetween. Typical I-joists can be up to 60 feet long, up to 24 inches tall, and down to 1.75 inches wide, but some configurations may have a shorter or longer length, a shorter or taller height, or a wider or narrower width. Some constructions of I-joists have a web thickness of 0.375 inches, others are of approximately 0.719 inches, however, other constructions are possible. Typical I-joists, may have exposed webbing of about 8-16 inches.
I-joists add strength relative to dimensional wood joists and generally weigh less. A reason for the added strength and reduced weight of I-joists is due to the web being constructed of oriented strand board (“OSB”). Oriented strand board is a type of engineered wood particle board formed from compressed layers of wood strands and adhesives. A problem with I-joists is that OSB burns quickly and, if damaged by fire, can weaken the structural integrity of a building. This can place fire fighters at risk of injury and death from collapse of fire-damaged floors and roofs built with I-joists. As such, there exists a need in the art for ways of overcoming the drawbacks of using I-joists without negating the strengths of I-joists.